1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer unit mountable on a device that requires the printer unit.
2. Background Art
A cash register is provided with a journal-paper winding mechanism that saves a journal on which characters are printed by a printer.
FIG. 16 shows a conventional journal paper winding mechanism provided on a cash register. Reference numeral 1 denotes a cash register (device), 2 a drawer, 3 a roll of paper shed, 4 a journal printer, 5 a printer fixing stand, 6 a writing stand, 7 a winding motor, 8 a winding pulley, and P a roll of printing paper.
A part of a roll of (journal) paper P printed by the journal printer 4 is wound by the winding pulley 8 through the writing stand 6 disposed above the journal printer 4.
As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the winding pulley 8 has a frictional wheel 81 coaxial with the winding pulley 8 with a rubber roller 71 provided on a shaft of the winding motor 7 engaging the outer periphery of the frictional wheel 81.
Therefore, when driving the winding motor 7, the winding pulley 8 winds the roll of paper through the rubber roller 71 and the frictional wheel 81.
When a part of the journal paper P fed out from the journal printer 4 is wound on the winding pulley 8 by the motor 7, the journal paper winding mechanism has the following problems:
The feeding speed of the journal paper P determined by the journal printer 4 is not synchronized with the rotational speed of the winding pulley 8 determined by the winding motor 7. If the winding speed determined by the motor 7 is higher than the rotational speed of the pulley 8, there occurs friction between the winding motor 7 and the pulley 8 to thereby produce abnormal noise and/or abrasion of the rubber roller 71. As a result, maintenance such as repair/replacement of the winding mechanism must be performed frequently.
When such maintenance is, however, difficult to perform and time consuming because the winding mechanism is fixed to the cash register in such a manner that it cannot be removed easily.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer unit capable of easily doing in a reduced time maintenance work such as repair and/or replacement of the printer paper winding mechanism.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provides a printer unit mountable on a device that requires the printer unit and comprising a printer and a pulley that winds paper printed by the printer, the printer unit also comprising:
a body to which the printer is fixed and having a paper shed in which the paper is stored, and
a turning arm assembled at one end rotatably with the body, the turning arm having thereon the winding pulley and a platen that is bringable to a position opposite to the printer.
Therefore, according to this invention, maintenance work such as repair/replacement of the printer paper winding mechanism is easily done and the work time for the maintenance is reduced.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a printer unit attachable to a drawer provided in a cash register, the printer unit comprising a printer and a winding pulley that winds paper printed by the printer, the printer unit also comprising:
a paper shed for storing the paper to be fed to the printer;
a hook for fixing the drawer;
fixing means for fixing the printer; and
a turning arm having thereon a platen bringable to a position opposite to the printer, and the winding pulley, turning arm being assembled at one end with the printer unit.
Therefore, according to this invention, maintenance work such as repair/replacement of the printer paper winding mechanism is easily done and the work time for the maintenance is reduced in the cash register.